White Gold
by Kare6Bear6
Summary: A one-shot set during the first season. Mr. Gold opens up to Mary Margaret after her ordeal of being framed. Friendship only between them.


**Author's Note:** This is a one-shot that I wrote during the first season. It's essentially just a short friendship fic between Mr. Gold and Mary Margaret. I only intended for it to be a one-shot, but have been thinking of extending it another chapter or two. Since we already know the characters and their personalities during the curse, I didn't spend time further developing them since I was going by the established personalities.

**White Gold**

_As a little girl I was like most other girls my age. I dreamed of that perfect fairy tale wedding with my very own Prince Charming. I wanted to be the princess whisked away by her true love to go live in that beautiful castle. I wanted to be beloved by all the people in the kingdom. As the years went by and I entered my teenage years, my wants and dreams became more realistic. I knew that fairy tales didn't really exist, though they were still things that I could daydream about. Even though I knew that fairy tales didn't exist, I could still have that happily ever after. And my dream of finding that perfect man to marry stayed right in my mind. _

_But I went through high school and had yet to come even remotely close to meeting a man I wanted to be with. After two short-lived romances, I thought that college would bring me better luck. However, it did not. I dated a man steadily through two of my four years there, even giving him my virginity to him, just to have him transfer after summer break without so much as a word to me. _

_I moved to Storybrooke after college ended, as I thought that perhaps my childhood home would be a better fit for me. I lived in a big city while I was in college, thinking I could be happier there than in a small town where everyone knew your business, but I was wrong. I was only twenty-one years old, and even though I was always considered to be mature for my age, I was ready to go back home and settle down; even if it was on my own. _

_After I got back to Storybrooke, the years just went by in a haze. I guess I could say before Emma arrived in Storybrooke, I didn't even realize just how much time had passed. It was like I was under some sort of illusion, focusing so much on my career and daily routine, until Emma came and disrupted that routine. But then it hit me. I was twenty-five years old and I still haven't settled down with a man. _

_I know, I know. What kind of weak dependent woman revolves her life around a man? I just…I had that image in my mind that has been ingrained there since I was a young girl. And it's not that my life revolved around finding a man. It's just disappointing to realize that the hourglass is quickly running out of sand and it has hit me after recent events which, I promise, I will get to talking about those events soon._

_Shortly after Emma arrived, things did start to change aside from my routine and realizing how much time had passed since I graduated college. I had been a volunteer at the local hospital for a while, and I started reading to a comatose John Doe. I used to just bring him flowers to replace the old ones in a vase. But reading to him was the idea of Henry, one of my favorite students, and also the son of Emma. Soon after I started reading and visiting with the John Doe, something happened that changed my life forever, in ways that I never could have imagined. He woke up, and after I read to him. Me. Imagine that. I must admit, being the person that caused David to wake up felt amazing. It made me feel special. That's also where the trouble began._

_David found out that he had a wife, Kathryn. Kathryn was a beautiful woman, and so sweet to top it all off. I continued to visit David in the hospital until he was able to go home. During that time we really started to bond. He even told me that I was the only part of being awake again that felt real to him. He told me that he wanted me, not Kathryn. Everything about his former life with her made him feel like it was all a dream._

_That's when I should have seen the signs. Emma even warned me about seeing him. But we started an affair anyways, even though he regained his memories of his life with her. David still said that he wanted me, but he didn't want to hurt her. I pushed him to make a choice between us, as if that would somehow make it all better, as though my actions weren't as wrong as I knew them to be. I felt elated every time I was near him, and the butterflies in my stomach stirred with every glance. Still, David refused to tell Kathryn. The days went by and it was getting harder and harder to continue things the way they were. It was also getting harder and harder to break them off. It didn't matter, though. The town found out, soon enough. Kathryn coming to my work and slapping me in the face was just part of what I deserved. Being shunned by the town and insulted by people I thought cared for me was just part of what I deserved. Being fired from the job I loved was just part of what I deserved. But being framed for murder? I thought that was going too far. That choice wasn't up to me, though. _

_The final straw in everything, however, was when David didn't even believe me to be innocent in that whole ordeal. He actually thought that I was capable of murdering his wife, the very wife that he knew I wanted to be informed of the affair in the first place. I never wanted to get rid of her and he knew that. I just wanted him to believe in me. But apparently that didn't matter. None of what we went through did, except to use against me. Thankfully Ruby found Kathryn alive and in okay shape. That was the only thing that saved me from a long life in prison._

_But the damage has been done. Kathryn and David are now done. David and I are now done. At least I'll have my freedom as soon as this statement is done. Undergoing this evaluation by you, Dr. Hopper, is the last step before I restart my life. I guess since I am at the end of the timeline of events, this last step is now complete._

Standing here in the sheriff's office as Dr. Hopper reads over my "emotionally detailed summary of events" was awkward to say the least. It was a requirement of my release, as being falsely accused of such a heinous crime is something that can be emotionally damaging, and the psychiatrist would have to deem me ready to be stable enough to function within town again. He's supposed to read this to get an idea of things, and ask questions when he deems necessary to ask them. After several sessions he will write a recommendation that I am capable of seeking employment again. So I was told to recount my view of what happened and my thoughts up until now, with a reasonable amount of summarizing since nearly a year has passed by. It is supposedly a long-standing town law, but I think it's just a way for Regina to try to embarrass me further. Dr. Hopper assured me that Regina wouldn't be able to read it, due to privacy laws, but the fact that he had to read it and then send it to Dr. Whale, as he is my primary care doctor, is a whole other form of punishment. Good thing I didn't talk about Dr. Whale's one night stand and disaster dates with me…

Archie turned to face me after spending several minutes reading through the document. Mr. Gold, Emma, and Ruby were standing in the office as well. Emma because she was the sheriff, Ruby for emotional support, and Mr. Gold because he no doubt expects immediate compensation for his services as my lawyer.

"Well Miss Blanchard, I know you were pressed for time to write this out, but there are some details that seem to be missing. I feel as though you are holding back something. It's completely normal to have hesitance when there is an audience around. I'll make some notes in your file so that we can continue next week. I want you to be as rested as possible before coming back, so take the weekend and rest up. You can drop by my office at any time on Monday." With a quick smile and a wave to everyone else in the room, Archie departed without even waiting for my response, which gives me no time to back out. I'm not typically a procrastinator, but I would like more than a weekend to sort through my own thoughts before someone else wants to pick through them.

Archie's departure left just Emma, Ruby, Mr. Gold, and myself in the small sheriff's office. But, of course, that was short-lived when Mr. Gold turned and started speaking to me.

"Miss Blanchard, would you be willing to discuss a few small details with me concerning your current lack of an income?" Before I could even get a word in, Emma faced Mr. Gold and took it upon herself to defend me.

"You know that Mary Margaret lost her job and agreed to represent her for free. I thought you didn't go back on a deal, Mr. Gold?" Emma's little challenge towards the man would normally be enough for him to rise to the challenge in his own clever way. But not this time. This time, there was no little retort or nit picking correction that would end up leaving the other person with the short end of the stick. No, this time was different. I had yet to figure out why that was, and to whose benefit it would be.

"Miss Swan, if you would so kindly excuse us, this matter does not concern my legal representation with Miss Blanchard. This is a very private matter, not meant for your ears. I can assure you that no harm will come to Miss Blanchard." Emma's expression didn't let up, but she led Ruby out the door, presumably to the diner where we were all supposed to be meeting for a nice dinner later on.

You know that awkward moment I talked about just a few minutes before? Yeah, well, this feeling of awkwardness was much worse. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to feel. Talking with a man like him can't bring about anything good for me.

Mr. Gold is a middle-aged man that is small in stature and quiet in voice. He walks with a cane and has a slight limp. But he is far more feared than even the burliest man in town. He doesn't need to use physical violence to be intimidating, though there are stories of him having done that before to people that crossed him. He makes deals, and nobody ever breaks a deal with him. He doesn't allow it. If your rent is late, that's a violation of the lease and you're left out on the streets. That's why Leroy and I were trying so hard to sell those candles at the festival. Without the money, Mr. Gold would have thrown the nuns out on the streets. And if he would do that to the nuns, I would never think he would have a problem doing that to me.

I started to run through the possibilities in my mind about what this could be. Outwardly I know my nervousness was showing. I was twisting my hands in front of my stomach and my face would easily be betraying my nerves. Mr. Gold moved over towards me a little and appeared to be a bit hesitant before speaking to me. How…unusual…

"Miss Blanchard, I am almost certain that you know I have a reputation around this town as a man only in it for himself. Correct?" Where is he going with this? Is this a trap?

"I have heard some rumors in the past but I—" He gave a slight laugh before interrupting me.

"You don't have to sugar coat my reputation. I did the damage to it myself. You see, I wasn't always that way, if you can believe it. I was a man in love with another woman, much like how you and Mr. Nolan felt about each other. We were married and had a son. When our son was young, she revealed her true self to me. She didn't believe in me to be enough for her. She wanted more. So she took off with another man and I never saw her again. I saw the man some years later and he said that she had since died. I had already lost my own son so I had nothing left. I just about lost it. More years passed and I met another woman. I resisted against falling in love with her, but she broke through my walls anyways. I thought I wasn't good enough for her. I thought that she was betraying me. I pushed her away and lost her too, and haven't seen her since." Mr. Gold paused and closed his eyes. I've always believed that there is more to people than what meets the eye, but it sounds like Mr. Gold has been through some real tragedies in his life. I thought David not believing me was horrible. But Mr. Gold lost two women and a son that he loved. He's alone in life, so very alone… The start of his voice continuing his tale broke through my thoughts.

"What I'm trying to say here, Miss Blanchard, is that I have had my own share of lost love in this world. I can recognize true love when I see it, and I can pick out even the best liars. It doesn't take a psychiatrist to tell that he has hurt you, and more recently than Mr. Glass framing you for murder. One thing I regretted about finding my second love, which I know for a fact was my chance at true love, is that I let her go. Mr. Nolan informed me that he intends to leave for Boston and has cancelled his lease. If you let him go, Dearie, you might just become like me, and this town does not need two of me in it." By the end of his little speech, I couldn't help myself. I had tears now flowing down my cheeks, even though his last sentence did draw out a small laugh from the both of us. The thought that he would never have love in his life the way most people have spent so much time dreaming of, is just unimaginable to me. The ruthless persona that he has adapted has stemmed from years of hurt, loneliness, and misery.

"Mr. Gold, I am so sorry that you had to go through that." He gave a brief nod to me, and spoke his last words to me as he was starting to walk out of the office.

"Don't make the same mistakes I have, Dearie." For the second time that day, I couldn't help myself. I rushed forward, quickly closing in the few feet of space between us, and pulled Mr. Gold in for a hug. And he didn't pull away, but instead, wrapped his arms around me to reciprocate the hug and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I can't believe it. Who would have thought that Mr. Gold, the man that is feared by most of the town not only allowed me to hug him, but also spent the last few minutes helping to fix my relationship?

**Author's Note:** Feedback would be much appreciated. I am looking to develop my writing further and I suffer in quite a few areas, so any constructive words would be a big help.


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